“Movements of Fire and Shadow” is episode seventeen of season five of Babylon 5.
The episode opens with a Centauri fleet at Draxis Colony on the Border of Drazi Space. Open war has broken out with the Centauri following the events of the previous episode, “And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder”. Captain Lochley is narrating her personal journal. The Centauri war continues to spiral out of control. Retaliation against the Centauri has already reached Babylon 5. Half a dozen Centauri have been murdered in the last 3 days. Lochley has doubled security, but to no avail. She may have no choice but to quarantine the Centauri to the parts of the station where they are not in contact with anyone they are currently at war with. Unfortunately, that seems to be just about everyone.
Sheridan stops by Lochley’s quarters, even though it is 2AM. The late3st reports from Garibaldi, which are unconfirmed but reliable, are that the Centauri are targeting jump gates. Which is a violation of the rules of civilised warfare; wars come and go but the jump gates remain. Without them, the entire hyperspace beacon system will fall apart which will hurt the Centauri as much as everyone else. The Centauri may be willing to strike at Babylon 5. Lochley has considered this and has increased security. She doesn’t think it’s too likely, as even the Centauri will realise that the station is vital for the peace process. They shouldn’t have anything to worry about until the White Star fleet gets involved. Which is why Sheridan stopped by. He has given the order for the White Stars to open fire on Centauri vessels shooting at Alliance members.
Delenn realises that there is something Sheridan wants to ask her. He needs to ask something he doesn’t want to ask. No, it’s not about the gift he got her to wear. It’s business. They lost lots of White Stars during the Shadow War, more with the war with Earth and they are bound to lose more in the latest conflict. Eventually, they will run out. Delenn agrees; the White Stars have been used against everything and held their own, but they can’t keep doing that.
Sheridan wants more, and bigger, ships. The Grey Council authorised the construction of the White Stars during the Shadow War and they were fortunate to inherit them. Sheridan has a suggestion; the Minbari provide the specs and Earth provides the resources. The president said yes – if the Minbari say yes first. So, Sheridan would like Delenn to head to Minbar to speak to the Grey Council in person. It’s not a safe journey though. She agrees to depart immediately.
Vir has asked Lyta and Dr Franklin to see him. He has a favour to ask. Centauri ships have been in combat with the Drazi; they have always returned Drazi bodies to the Drazi but the Drazi have not done the same. Vir suspects that there is something else going on behind the scenes. He would like Franklin, as the chief medical officer of the Alliance, and Lyta, as a telepath, to head to the homeworld and find out what is going on. Lyta requires a substantially higher payment than usual; she’s raising money for rogue telepaths. On the suggestion that Vir speak to Londo about helping, Vir says that Londo is currently engaged.
Londo is in a cell with G’Kar, after the minister proved perfectly willing to lock Londo up as well. G’Kar thinks Londo should leave; Londo believes that he can do more good inside the cell than out. He needs to go against the Regent, but without being executed. Being locked up will stir popular opinion against the Regent, the first step in countermanding his orders. During the discussion, there is a flash of light and both are knocked out. The wall of the cell opens and Londo is carted away by another race who perform a procedure on him at the instigation of yet another. When Londo wakes up, G’Kar says he was having nightmares. Neither seems to truly remember what happened. Londo now needs to get out of the cell, but without losing face. So G’Kar makes himself regurgitate the previous supper. Narn vomit seems to border on being a toxic substance.
Sheridan meets with Garibaldi, Lochley and generals from the Narn, Brakiri and Drazi. None are willing to cooperate beyond their borders, but Sheridan really wants to get an impression of the Centauri strategy. They have two fleets, one for protection and one for offence, and there seems to be little to no contact between them. Which isn’t typical. Sheridan can find no strategy other than to fight a war and annoy the Centauri’s neighbours. They must have definite achievable goals, so what are they? Nobody knows. Perhaps because the goals are nothing to do with what the Centauri want. The other races want to attack Centauri Prime. Sheridan does not.
The Centauri try taking out Babylon 5’s jump gate and Lyta and Franklin stumble across something odd on the Drazi homeworld, something the Drazi really should have shared with the others. The Centauri are still insisting they are only defending themselves and the Narns and Drazi decide to take matters into their own hands. Matters are going very badly, very quickly, and the true aim for the war is finally revealed. The reason it didn’t seem to make sense is it wasn’t supposed to; the goal of it was completely different to what might have been expected, because it wasn’t a Centauri goal.